1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multifunctional apparatus, which can operate being driven by a battery, and to a control method for the apparatus; and, more particularly, to a multifunctional apparatus capable of both a printing (or inking) function of characters and a scanning function for reading image pictures.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
In accordance with trends toward attaining portability and toward saving energy consumption seen in such sorts of apparatus as in use for office automation (referred to as "OA" hereinafter), various apparatus such as printers, personal computers and so on have recently been enabled to operate being driven by a battery. It is usual for the battery-operating apparatus to detect a state, wherein an energy quantity stored in the battery is low (referred to as "a low battery level" hereinafter), to protect components constituting the apparatus.
For instance, when a lowering of the energy quantity stored in a built-in battery of an inkjet-type printing equipment (printer) takes place suddenly during use and stops the printing operation, a printing head is exposed to an ambient atmosphere, which becomes a possible cause of printing failures such as poor printing. Accordingly, a means for detecting the low battery level of the inkjet-type printer is controlled so that a minimum electric power at least necessary for capping the printing head can be reserved in the battery.
On the other hand, there has recently appeared another trend among apparatus that only one constitution of apparatus can provide various functions. One of those examples is illustrated in FIG. 5.
FIG. 5 is an overview of an apparatus capable of loading a plurality of different sorts of function units in a manner wherein exchangeability between units is reserved. Herein the apparatus shown in FIG. 5 represents an actual apparatus which exchangeably loads a printing head 401 (see FIG. 5A) in use for recording onto a recording medium and a scanner head 402 (see FIG. 5B) in use for reading an image of originals.
The apparatus shown in FIG. 5 varies its operating functions depending on the species of head loaded on a carriage unit 7, which is one of constituents of the apparatus. If the ink head 401 is, for instance, loaded on that unit, the apparatus is driven so that an inkjet-type printing (line printing) function operates. If the scanner head 402 in use for reading the image pictures is loaded on that unit on the contrary, the apparatus is driven so that a scanner function operates.
However, if the apparatus which has functions and constitutions mentioned above operates being driven by a battery, it encounters problems as follows:
If a detecting means of the low battery level is installed, for instance, being adjusted to the printing operation of above-mentioned apparatus in use for such as OA, the low battery level is set up so that a minimum electric power at least necessary for capping the printing head can be reserved. On the other hand, the scanner head 402 can operate at a lower storage level of the battery than the inkjet head 401 because the scanner head 402 does not require a battery reserve for capping. Namely, a set up of the low battery level being adjusted to the printing operation brings about an inefficient utilization of storage energy with regard to the scanner operation of the same apparatus.
On the contrary, when the low battery level is set up being adjusted to the scanner operation, the low battery level control whereby the scanner operates in down to the utilization limit of the battery capacity. However, if the printing function operates being driven by the battery on this lowest level, there arises a danger that the battery is excessively discharged to such a storage capacity level wherein capping of the printing head cannot be attained anymore. Namely, a set up of the low battery level being adjusted to the scanner operation can be regarded as the set up having a danger of causing the operational failures on the printing function involved by the same apparatus.
When those sorts of multifunctional apparatus are driven by the battery, there appears an important problem that a mismatching between the species of functions and the levels set up for detecting the low battery state takes place during the control of the detecting means.